This session gives me all the feels. I first met Miss A when she came in for her very first boudoir shoot in Toronto. We clicked instantly, and since since then, she has become far more than a client, but an amazing supporter of me, and a great friend.

I've always seen confidence in Miss A, but after THIS boudoir shoot together, I've seen her confidence sky rocket to a whole new level.

These photos were taken during a mentoring session I did with a photographer I admire by the name of Teri Hofford. Teri is a body positive ICON, and if you aren't familiar with her work, you need to go check her out right now.

Keep reading to hear about Miss A's most recent boudoir shoot.

HOW DID YOU FEEL DURING YOUR SHOOT?

I'm not going to lie, the first little while I was very nervous! Even though Samantha is extremely reassuring, kind and body positive, you cant help but run the "what if's" and "I should have gone to the gym before this" thoughts in your brain.

A really great distraction from all that though, is getting your hair and makeup done!! Before you know it, you're this fox in red lipstick feeling amazing! As time moves forward, and the small talk turns into decent conversation, my fears hit the backburner and excitement crept in!

As Sam was taking her photos, I hear her say "OH MY GOD this is so amazing!" or "This light is perfect on your face right there!" And sometimes my eyes were closed so I had absolutely NO idea what the light looked like or what my body was doing in that moment! That to me was an incredibly exciting moment! I was imagining what those photos would end up looking like and what my facial expression would be at the end!

HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU SAW YOUR IMAGES FOR THE FIRST TIME?

You may not know, but this is my third shoot with Samantha. The first one was in 2016 just after my wedding, and then again in 2017 for some maternity photos, and now in 2018 for my "post baby" shots.

Each time I got the email "photos are ready!!!" my heart would beat like crazy and I swear the page couldn't load fast enough! When I saw these photos in particular, I was just sooooo beyond happy. Thats me! Yup! every roll, every lump and bump is just pure perfection.

Samantha has a way of capturing your body in all its beautiful, raw glory, without the pictures coming out as "dirty" or tasteless. I felt really proud of myself for scraping up every ounce of confidence to stand in front of Samantha (and Teri) exactly as I am with no apologies.

When the photoshoot was done, I realized that I didnt have to scrape anything up ... I went into the shoot exactly who I was. I didnt have to pretend, I didnt have to act, I didnt have to imagine myself as someone else. I was me, and I am more than enough. I probably look at my photos once or twice a day and just smile. Samantha is the only photographer I've ever worked with to capture my soul in each and every photo.

HAS THE SHOOT HELPED WITH YOUR CONFIDENCE?

Yes! I would say that each time I get my pictures taken by Samantha, I get a boost of confidence that lingers for a really long time. Each time I look at my photos, I get a buzz.

Sometimes I look at my photos in a public place like starbucks or on the bus, HOPING that my neighbour gets a glimpse and wonders "omg WHO IS THAT?" thats me, lady! Believe it or not! I feel proud showing off the photos to friends and to my husband. I feel like a goddess.

WOULD YOU RECOMMEND A BOUDOIR SHOOT TO OTHER WOMEN?

I am seriously ALWAYS encouraging women to get their photos done. I recommend doing a lot .. and i mean A LOT of research before choosing a photographer. Anyone can take a photo of you standing in lingerie with your finger in your mouth, but only a select few can actually capture your essence, your unique womanhood, your soul, your heart in a photo. Sam does that for me. And I know she does that for every other woman she photographs too.

I remember the night I was researching boudoir photography on my work computer (sorry work!) in 2016, and Crave Boudoir's page stood out from the rest. Samantha is adamant on ensuring you are comfortable in your shoot and that you are in charge of what the outcome is!

You can wear whatever you want, your hair and makeup is what you want, if you want to pose one way and not the other, thats cool too! At the end of the day, we all have the same goal. To get these photos done to celebrate how beautiful, strong, and powerful we are as women.

if you're reading this and thinking "I wish i had her confidence" please do yourself a favour, and give Samantha a call! You HAVE IT! I am no one special. I am not a model. I am a mother, a wife, a sister, a friend, a nurse. I love harry potter and the twilight saga. I love to sing in the shower and eat endless pints of ice cream. I love pineapple on my pizza. I am a weirdo. I have stage fright. I get gas when im nervous. I AM A PERSON! If you are also a person, you are worthy of a boudoir shoot! You have the right to look at yourself and think "damn I am fucking beautiful!" Please, do it for yourself. You will thank you later. Promise.